Training camp is about to begin which means the 2016 offseason is coming to an end. It was the Sharks shortest offseason in history after making the Stanley Cup Finals a few months ago. With added depth and familiarity of Coach DeBoer and his system, San Jose heads into the season with one goal in mind: Win the franchise's first Cup. Here is a full recap of what went down this summer.

Contract Extensions

Hertl signed a bridge contract.

GM Doug Wilson didn't have any huge names to re-sign this offseason. Tomas Hertl was by far the #1 priority, and Wilson made no mistake in signing him to a team-friendly bridge contract. Two years, $3 million a year gave the organization some extra cap space to work with in free agency. If Hertl continues to progress, he'll be in for a big payday a couple years down the line. RFA Matt Nieto was re-signed to a one year, $735k deal. Next season will be make-or-break for him, as he has struggled since his rookie year and is at risk of sliding down the depth chart. Dylan DeMelo signed a two-year contract, but it will be tough for him to win a spot in the top-6 defensive group. Minor leaguers Ryan Carpenter, Micheal Haley, and Aaron Dell were brought back. Dell will likely compete for the backup job on the big club during training camp.

Unrestricted free agents Nick Spaling, Dainius Zubrus, Roman Polak, and James Reimer walked. Matt Tennyson also moved on. Most of the Sharks minor league UFA's will not return, clearing roster space for the influx of young prospects who will begin their professional careers with the Barracuda.

Grade: A

Draft

Dylan Gambrell, second round pick.

The 2016 Draft was a bit underwhelming for Sharks fans, as the team did not have a first round pick (but does have Martin Jones) and would not make their first selection until late in the second round. They had just one pick in the top-110 and five picks total.

San Jose took college forward Dylan Gambrell 60th overall. He was passed over in the two previous drafts but exploded this past season at the University of Denver. Gambrell can be described as a well-rounded, hard working center who's good in all three zones. His upside isn't huge, but if he proves last year was not a fluke and can develop some more offensively, he may be a serviceable middle-6 center a few years down the line. For now, the 20-year-old is entering his sophomore year and will be leaned on heavily to produce offense.

Noah Gregor was the Sharks fourth round pick, but no one would have batted an eye if Gregor was taken 60th and Gambrell 111th. The WHL forward had a great season with Moose Jaw in a secondary role behind Brayden Point and Brett Howden. It was his first full year in the Junior league after missing most of the previous with a broken clavicle. He's a speedy center with quick hands and good hockey sense. He's undersized and will need to bulk up, but has plenty of time to marinate, being one of the youngest prospects in the system.

​San Jose took a third center, Manuel Wiederer, from Moncton in the QMJHL in the fifth round. In the sixth, they went OHL defenseman Mark Shoemaker, and with their seventh rounder, selected Swedish winger Joachim Blichfeld. A trend in this draft was picking older players who were in their second or third year of eligibility. They are closer to the pro ranks, but lack the upside of a 17 or 18 year old prospect of similar caliber. The Sharks also focused on restocking their center depth, and while they didn't get a chance to pick up any high-end guys, they added some decent depth to a prospect pool that has been on the upswing in recent years.

​Grade: C+

Free Agency

Mikkel Boedker, free agent signing.

Like last offseason, Doug Wilson made some noise in free agency. The big acquisition was forward Mikkel Boedker, who took less money and term to sign with San Jose and compete for a Cup. Four years at $4 million per is a very good contract for a scoring middle-6 winger. Boedker has a combination of speed and skill that the Sharks lacked against Pittsburgh. He's played on bad teams for most of his career, and his possession numbers are subpar, but the 26-year-old should fit in nicely on the second or third line. A history of being successful on the powerplay, he could end up on the second unit for San Jose. Overall, a terrific decision by Wilson to go out and acquire a good prime-aged winger who will make the Sharks forward group even more dangerous.

David Schlemko was the other July 1st signing by the organization. The 29-year-old defenseman was inked to a four year deal worth $2.1 million per year. It's no secret as to why a third pairing D was sought out by the team this offseason. Brenden Dillon and Roman Polak were picked apart in the Finals. Polak is gone, and the Sharks would like more stability. Dylan DeMelo played well when he was in the lineup, but probably didn't do enough to be penciled in as the #6 to start the season. Schlemko played in the bottom-4 on New Jersey and should provide Brenden Dillon a more suitable partner. Like Boedker, he is good on the PP and could be the lone D on the second unit. The four year term is quite long for a defenseman who has had one good year in the NHL, but San Jose is hoping he's just a late bloomer and can patch the most notable weakness in their lineup.

Trades

For better or worse, Doug Wilson did not make one trade this offseason. We'll lean towards "better". He did not sacrifice the future to go 'all-in' but rather acquired prime-aged depth players via free agency to supplement the team. A move for a backup goaltender could still be possible if no one from within takes a firm grasp on the spot.

Grade: N/A

Overall

Unlike previous seasons, the organization's vision for this season could not be more clear: Win a Stanley Cup. A somewhat surprising run to the Finals in June proved that the team does have the horses to achieve this. The offseason was successful in filling in holes that were badly exposed by Pittsburgh a few months ago.

​Speed and skill. Mikkel Boedker has it in spades. Prospects looking to breakthrough like Timo Meier, Nikolay Goldobin, and Marcus Sorensen all have unique combinations of these traits. A healthy, complete season from Logan Couture will go a long way. The continued growth of younger players such as Tomas Hertl and Joonas Donskoi add a new element to the team as well. The defense is solidly built with no glaring question marks. Martin Jones broke out into a borderline top-10 goaltender in his first full year as a starter. On paper, the 2016-17 San Jose Sharks are even better than last year's team that came within two wins of the holy grail.

We all know the nucleus of this team though. The performance of aging core players Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Brent Burns will be the biggest determinant in how successful the coming season will be. All three of these players exceeded expectations in 2015-16. Will Joe Thornton come close to the point per game pace he scored at? Will Joe Pavelski notch yet another 35+ goal season? Can Brent Burns repeat his Norris-caliber year? All questions that will be answered one way or the other in the 2016-17 campaign.

San Jose is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender heading into the season. We'll see if they can finally exorcise their demons and come out of it a winner.